The United States has filed a formal application for the extradition of MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom and three staff members from New Zealand over allegations of profiting from the illegal hosting and sharing of files.

The United States has filed a formal application for the extradition of MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom and three staff members from New Zealand over allegations of profiting from the illegal hosting and sharing of files.

The US federal prosecutors file the request at the North Shore District Court in Auckland, New Zealand on Friday in efforts to get Dotcom and his associates onto American soil so that they can face prosecution, with the US claiming that MegaUpload profited at the expense of intellectual property holders, such as music and movie companies.

The three others who face extradition are Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, all of whom were in prominent positions within the file-hosting company.

Dotcom claims that US authorities selected emails and other evidence in a misleading and malicious way. Lawyers for MegaUpload claim that many files stored on the service show that it was a legal hosting company.

If Dotcom and his colleagues are extradited and found guilty of the charges, which include racketeering, copyright infringement, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, they could face up to 20 years in prison.